diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 2fdf17efa6..3d53274daf 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const gulp = require('gulp')
-const parallel = require('run-parallel')
-const series = require('run-series')
+const parallel = require('async/parallel')
+const series = require('async/series')
 const createTempNode = require('./test/utils/temp-node')
 const API = require('./src/http-api')
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6b9bf0a5a3..ae6ec3ef80 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
     "transform-loader": "^0.2.3"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "async": "^2.0.1",
     "babel-runtime": "^6.11.6",
     "bl": "^1.1.2",
     "boom": "^4.0.0",
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/config/edit.js b/src/cli/commands/config/edit.js
index 18d6fda014..91900578ce 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/config/edit.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/config/edit.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 const spawn = require('child_process').spawn
 const fs = require('fs')
 const temp = require('temp')
-const waterfall = require('run-waterfall')
+const waterfall = require('async/waterfall')
 const debug = require('debug')
 const log = debug('cli:config')
 log.error = debug('cli:config:error')
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/files/cat.js b/src/cli/commands/files/cat.js
index 88dd96b2ea..2b804d4e34 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/files/cat.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/files/cat.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const waterfall = require('run-waterfall')
+const waterfall = require('async/waterfall')
 const debug = require('debug')
 const utils = require('../../utils')
 const log = debug('cli:files')
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/files/get.js b/src/cli/commands/files/get.js
index dbf0a76732..bc011ff68b 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/files/get.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/files/get.js
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ function fileHandler (dir) {
           file.content.pipe(fs.createWriteStream(target))
             .once('error', cb)
             .once('end', cb)
+          return
         }
         cb()
       })
diff --git a/src/core/components/go-online.js b/src/core/components/go-online.js
index 985f307e27..403226a8e8 100644
--- a/src/core/components/go-online.js
+++ b/src/core/components/go-online.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const series = require('run-series')
+const series = require('async/series')
 const Bitswap = require('ipfs-bitswap')
 
 module.exports = function goOnline (self) {
diff --git a/src/core/components/object.js b/src/core/components/object.js
index 8e987b4d07..87239bb6c9 100644
--- a/src/core/components/object.js
+++ b/src/core/components/object.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const mDAG = require('ipfs-merkle-dag')
-const waterfall = require('run-waterfall')
+const waterfall = require('async/waterfall')
 const promisify = require('promisify-es6')
 const bs58 = require('bs58')
 const DAGNode = mDAG.DAGNode
@@ -69,12 +69,7 @@ module.exports = function object (self) {
             cb(err, node)
           })
         }
-      ], (err, node) => {
-        if (err) {
-          return cb(err)
-        }
-        cb(null, node)
-      })
+      ], cb)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/http-api/index.js b/src/http-api/index.js
index 848d3a00ce..0e46e0f33b 100644
--- a/src/http-api/index.js
+++ b/src/http-api/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const parallel = require('run-parallel')
+const parallel = require('async/parallel')
 const Hapi = require('hapi')
 const debug = require('debug')
 const fs = require('fs')
diff --git a/test/cli/test-bitswap.js b/test/cli/test-bitswap.js
index 425640b22c..d1230c53d7 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-bitswap.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-bitswap.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const bs58 = require('bs58')
 const HttpAPI = require('../../src/http-api')
 const createTempNode = require('../utils/temp-node')
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 
 describe('bitswap', () => {
   let node
diff --git a/test/cli/test-block.js b/test/cli/test-block.js
index c5a03eb4a1..6beb8b3076 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-block.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-block.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 
 describe('block', () => {
   describeOnlineAndOffline(repoPath, () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/test-bootstrap.js b/test/cli/test-bootstrap.js
index 766c3f6887..8c69c8486e 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-bootstrap.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-bootstrap.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
 
 describe('bootstrap', () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/test-commands.js b/test/cli/test-commands.js
index 539c055363..da484580d1 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-commands.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-commands.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
-const ipfsBase = require('../utils/ipfs')
+const ipfsBase = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')
 const ipfs = ipfsBase(repoPath)
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
 
diff --git a/test/cli/test-config.js b/test/cli/test-config.js
index 1027995335..fecdeb3a2e 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-config.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-config.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const expect = require('chai').expect
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
 
 describe('config', () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/test-files.js b/test/cli/test-files.js
index b9edc56354..0e7aca6f7e 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-files.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-files.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 
 describe('files', () => {
   describeOnlineAndOffline(repoPath, () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/test-id.js b/test/cli/test-id.js
index cfef37e5e4..6a76170e41 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-id.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-id.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 
 describe('id', () => {
   describeOnlineAndOffline(repoPath, () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/test-init.js b/test/cli/test-init.js
index 99268e7a27..27e20bc191 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-init.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-init.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const expect = require('chai').expect
 const path = require('path')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const clean = require('../utils/clean')
-const ipfsCmd = require('../utils/ipfs')
+const ipfsCmd = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')
 
 describe('init', function () {
   this.timeout(60 * 1000)
diff --git a/test/cli/test-object.js b/test/cli/test-object.js
index 6506abb8ee..383b32457b 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-object.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-object.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 
 describe('object', () => {
   describeOnlineAndOffline(repoPath, () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/test-swarm.js b/test/cli/test-swarm.js
index 3426f1e982..d846337024 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-swarm.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-swarm.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const expect = require('chai').expect
 const HttpAPI = require('../../src/http-api')
 const createTempNode = require('../utils/temp-node')
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 
 describe('swarm', function () {
   this.timeout(30 * 1000)
diff --git a/test/cli/test-version.js b/test/cli/test-version.js
index 95d104fb0d..c4e9113a29 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-version.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-version.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const expect = require('chai').expect
 const pkgversion = require('../../package.json').version
 const repoPath = require('./index').repoPath
 const describeOnlineAndOffline = require('../utils/on-and-off')
-const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs')(repoPath)
+const ipfs = require('../utils/ipfs-exec')(repoPath)
 
 describe('version', () => {
   describeOnlineAndOffline(repoPath, () => {
diff --git a/test/core/both/test-bitswap.js b/test/core/both/test-bitswap.js
index 208b2cfca1..5ccb186d00 100644
--- a/test/core/both/test-bitswap.js
+++ b/test/core/both/test-bitswap.js
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const _ = require('lodash')
-const series = require('run-series')
-const waterfall = require('run-waterfall')
-const parallel = require('run-parallel')
+const series = require('async/series')
+const waterfall = require('async/waterfall')
+const parallel = require('async/parallel')
 const leftPad = require('left-pad')
 const Block = require('ipfs-block')
 const bs58 = require('bs58')
diff --git a/test/core/browser.js b/test/core/browser.js
index 02eced8342..54731912c9 100644
--- a/test/core/browser.js
+++ b/test/core/browser.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* eslint-env mocha */
 'use strict'
 
-const series = require('run-series')
+const series = require('async/series')
 const Store = require('idb-pull-blob-store')
 const _ = require('lodash')
 const pull = require('pull-stream')
diff --git a/test/utils/factory-core/index.js b/test/utils/factory-core/index.js
index f334536795..c23b628473 100644
--- a/test/utils/factory-core/index.js
+++ b/test/utils/factory-core/index.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const isNode = require('detect-node')
 const IPFSRepo = require('ipfs-repo')
 const cleanRepo = require('../clean')
 const IPFS = require('../../../src/core')
-const series = require('run-series')
+const series = require('async/series')
 const defaultConfig = require('./default-config.json')
 
 module.exports = Factory
diff --git a/test/utils/factory-http/index.js b/test/utils/factory-http/index.js
index 6582184d25..290330aa29 100644
--- a/test/utils/factory-http/index.js
+++ b/test/utils/factory-http/index.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const IPFSAPI = require('ipfs-api')
 const IPFS = require('../../../src/core')
 const cleanRepo = require('../clean')
 const HTTPAPI = require('../../../src/http-api')
-const series = require('run-series')
+const series = require('async/series')
 const defaultConfig = require('./default-config.json')
 
 module.exports = Factory
diff --git a/test/utils/ipfs.js b/test/utils/ipfs-exec.js
similarity index 58%
rename from test/utils/ipfs.js
rename to test/utils/ipfs-exec.js
index 2c8c94d718..5867e4c5d6 100644
--- a/test/utils/ipfs.js
+++ b/test/utils/ipfs-exec.js
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@ const execa = require('execa')
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const _ = require('lodash')
 
+// This is our new test utility to easily check and execute
+// ipfs cli commands.
+//
+// The top level export is a function that can be passed a `repoPath`
+// and optional `opts` to customize the execution of the commands.
+// This function returns the actual executer, which consists of
+// `ipfs('files get <hash>')` and `ipfs.fail('files get <hash>')`
+// The first one executes and asserts that the command ran successfully
+// and returns a promise which is resolved to `stdout` of the command.
+// The `.fail` variation asserts that the command exited with `Code > 0`
+// and returns a promise that resolves to `stderr`.
 module.exports = (repoPath, opts) => {
   const env = _.clone(process.env)
   env.IPFS_PATH = repoPath
diff --git a/test/utils/temp-node.js b/test/utils/temp-node.js
index 7375d9e60b..8fbc90f86c 100644
--- a/test/utils/temp-node.js
+++ b/test/utils/temp-node.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 const expect = require('chai').expect
 const leftPad = require('left-pad')
-const series = require('run-series')
+const series = require('async/series')
 
 const IPFS = require('../../src/core')
 const createTempRepo = require('./temp-repo')